A Holiday Plan
by SouthernChickie and LoMaRiBa
Summary: While helping out SouthernChickie with her UL series, LoMaRiBA and SC started an MSN conversation that formed itself into a separate story about Richie, Tessa and Duncan.


Tessa and Duncan realized that Christmas was approaching almost at the same time. Normally they'd just fix a nice meal and maybe decorate the apartment with simple, tasteful decorations. But this year was different. Richie Ryan had joined their family and they wanted to make sure to include the boy and his traditions into the holiday. The first question, asked by Tessa, 'Richie, Duncan and I were wondering what you wanted to do for Christmas?' was met with resistance. Ten minutes later they still were clueless as to how to do include the boy.  
  
"I'll do whatever you guys do, Christmas isn't a big deal to me," Richie insisted for the fifth time.  
  
"But Richie, I want you to have a good time too! Isn't there a type of cookie or dish that you've had at Christmas time that I could make?" Tessa offered. They had been trying to get Richie to speak up about anything and figured Christmas traditions always appealed, gifts had universal appeal to people of all ages. However, Richie wasn't biting.  
  
"It's not a big deal, really. Just whatever you guys do... I was never in one place long enough to have a tradition for Christmas."  
  
"But come on, Richie; just tell us one thing we can do to make you feel at home! How about Emily? Did she ever do something for you?"  
  
"We didn't do Christmas."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I was real little, I don't remember much, but there were no Christmas traditions, don't worry. Whatever you guys want to do is fine."  
  
"Okay, but are you sure? Did you celebrate at all?"  
  
Richie grinned and rolled his eyes. "Sometimes. I just did whatever the rest of the family did."  
  
"And what was that?" Duncan, who had been watching the conversation between Tessa and Richie, turning his head like spectators do at a tennis match.  
  
Richie shrugged. "Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, winter solstice, rain dances... whatever."  
  
"Do you have a preference? I've celebrated all of them in my time, and I bet Tessa'd enjoy some of them as well. I know this great pagan rite where we all go out on the solstice, naked and then you start."  
  
"Duncan!" Tessa yelled.  
  
"What?" he grinned back at her.  
  
"No naked outside winter stuff. That's my vote," Richie said hoping the conversation would end there.  
  
"Nothing else?" Duncan asked. "Come one, you must have done SOMETHING you liked, at least once. We just go with the flow ourselves; it might be nice to follow a certain religion or ceremony this year."  
  
"Fine, let's do Hanukkah if you guys are so desperate for something to do!" Richie snapped crossing his arms over his chest "I don't care!" he said slowly  
  
"I know a great recipe for Matzo balls," Tessa offered.  
  
"That's fine too," he told her  
  
"Okay! Matzo balls it is! We could do something for Kwanza too...that's usually a bit after all the hubbub of Christmas. We could spread out our celebrations."  
  
"Fine with me. So I take it Mac speaks Hebrew to do the blessings and stuff right?" Richie asked tentatively.  
  
"I can get by. But I'd love some help. How about it, tough guy? You want to help?" Duncan offered trying to get Richie to commit to at least what religion he wanted to be this winter. "I know I have a menorah around here that I was given in 1733. Tessa can get the candles for the menorah when she goes shopping this afternoon."  
  
"Fine, like I've said. I'll do whatever."  
  
"That's great." Duncan smiled; it was a good thing that they'd realized the holidays were approaching and that Richie had committed to being Jewish, tonight instead of tomorrow. Hanukah started tonight and they wouldn't miss out on any of the holy days. "That means you can do the first prayers tonight. I want to check out the book before I do it; that way I can teach you the proper Hebrew. You up for it?"  
  
"I already know it," Richie assured him.  
  
"Really?" Duncan inquired, shooting Tessa an interested look. "Do you celebrate any other Jewish holidays? Keep kosher? I know how important these things are and if you still remember the Hanukkah prayers, you probably follow most of the traditions. I have a friend who's a rabbi in a synagogue near by. I can introduce you to him..." Duncan wanted to make Richie feel that he could practice any religion he wanted. Duncan understood how faith could help a person and Richie would definitely need faith to get him through his introduction to immortality. Without it, Richie would not have the motivation to survive for very long and Duncan hope that the boy would remain part of his life for a long time.  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'm just doing this because you guys want to."  
  
"Uh huh. Right Richie. It's okay. One day you'll see we won't push you away. You can have an opinion." Duncan shook his head. One day the boy would gain some self-confidence. Even if he had to kill him to do it.  
  
Tessa spoke up, "Richie, its okay. We want you to feel comfortable with us. It really isn't any trouble to be careful to be kosher. We almost follow that anyway. I just won't make Duncan his bacon in the morning any more."  
  
"Tessa!" Duncan whined. Tessa just glared at him until he stopped.  
  
"I like bacon," Richie protested becoming angry out of nowhere. "And I don't see why you guys are making such a big deal out of this!" Richie ranted as he began to pace. "I know the Kwanza rituals too."  
  
"Okay, then we won't keep kosher," Tessa assured him trying to figure out what had set the boy off.  
  
"I also know the Hail Mary and the Our Father. Why are you stuck on me being Jewish? I know about twelve different versions of this one prayer...I don't know what it's called, but all sorts of churches use it but it's almost always different," Richie rambled.  
  
"We just want to make you comfortable around us," Tessa assured him putting both hands on his shoulders to stop his pacing. "We're not stuck on you being Jewish; it just seemed that if you took the time and effort to learn another language and learned how to celebrate their holy days that it might be important to you. We don't want to insult you and your beliefs. We don't know much about you, but we want to!"  
  
"I'm learning French, does that means you're gonna start making frogs legs and stuff?"  
  
"Yes," Duncan smiled.  
  
"Fine." Richie seemed unfazed by the idea.  
  
"Duncan!" Tessa laughed. "Maybe Richie, I'm sure you'd enjoy it."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"It tastes just like chicken!" Duncan kept the joke going.  
  
"So does rattlesnake," Richie added with a slight grin. He had never had rattlesnake, but they didn't have to know that. "And I like chicken."  
  
"Then you might like frog legs. I can make it for supper tomorrow, if you'd like?" Tessa offered. "The market down the street carries them."  
  
"I don't care," Richie repeated slowly.  
  
"Naw, rattlesnake is more like lizard. It's a bit gamey." Duncan put his years of living to the test, trying to remember what all he'd eaten. For the life of him, he couldn't remember if he'd ever eaten rattlesnake, but he wasn't going to let Richie and Tessa know that. "Okay, you might not care, but we just wanted to make you feel at home here. You should feel free to tell us if you don't want to do something or DO want to do something. Holidays are important and we don't want to leave you out."  
  
"You won't. I've always just blended in."  
  
Tessa sighed, and tussled Richie's hair. This was becoming a lost cause. Tessa decided to give up. "Why don't you go on up to your room...it's almost bed time." She walked over to Duncan and leaned against him.  
  
"Bed time!" Richie repeated indignantly. "I'm 18!"  
  
"Fine, then go up and watch TV, read a book. Do something!" Duncan snapped.  
  
"Geeze, what'd I do?" Richie asked worriedly. His stubbornness had gotten him in to trouble before, but Duncan seemed to make a game out of seeing how long until he would break down and do or say what they wanted him to.  
  
"Nothing, mon petite, Duncan is just being crabby." Tessa walked back over to Richie. "You know we want you here, right?"  
  
"Most of the time," Richie answered forcing a crooked grin. "Although, Mac seems pretty pissed right now..."  
  
Tessa laughed and ruffled Richie's hair again. "Mac's just grumpy. He's not 'pissed' right now; he just wants to make sure you're comfortable with us. We like you. That means we want you to be happy. Alright?"  
  
"That means that you should have some say in how we celebrate holidays," Duncan added.  
  
"My vote is we do whatever. I've perfected my blending into the woodwork technique. Stop trying to ruin it."  
  
"But you shouldn't have to blend anymore, Rich," Duncan told him. "In fact, you shouldn't have had to in the first place. What kind of families were you placed with?"  
  
"All sorts," Richie shrugged. "Jewish, Catholic, atheist, Presbyterian... black, white, Chinese... old, young... two parents, one parent... any combination there of," he rattled off.  
  
"That's very interesting. You must be very multicultural." Duncan nodded at Tessa's words. Richie's familiarity with different cultures would serve him well once his immortality was triggered. He'd be able to fit in with a great deal of people and hopefully he'd be able to survive past the century mark.  
  
"Yeah," Richie shrugged. "It tends to happen. So this should work out," he continued with a grin. "Scottish, French. and whatever." He smiled broadly pleased with his joke  
  
Tessa and Mac grinned as well. Richie would fit in well with their family. Tessa began making plans for a true multicultural Christmas. Since Richie mentioned it, she might as well throw some French traditions in and she'd get Duncan to do some MacLeod bonding with the boy. Maybe Connor could come visit for the holiday as well?  
  
After Richie went up to his room, Tessa persuaded Mac to give Connor a call. Christmas really was all about families and Richie was a part of theirs. Tessa was tempted to call her family, but as they didn't approve of Duncan, she knew that the call would be futile. She'd mention it in her weekly call to her parents, but didn't hold out hope. It'd all work out okay. Richie and Duncan were all she needed to make her holiday complete. 


End file.
